In honor of GEICO’s 75th anniversary, we’re sharing an image from GEICO’s past each month this year and inviting you to exercise your caption-writing skills.

In this mid-1970s photo, there are clearly some Deep Thoughts going on in this group. But are they all on the same page? Maybe not.

The fellow in the middle, for example, with his arms crossed – he looks like he has spotted something troublesome off to his right that nobody else in the group has seen. What could it be?

The fellow at the right, making the Dramatic Hand Gesture, seems to be leading the discussion; what is he talking about? And what’s in the envelope the gentleman to his left is holding? We await your speculations in the comments.

40 responses to “Memory of the Month: Deep thoughts”

The guy with his arms crossed is thinking, “I may not be smart, but I’m sure if i stand here with my arms crossed and my brows lookin’ serious, i’ll appear to be somewhat superior to these guys.”

The guy making the dramatic hand gesture and thinking, “I don’t know how much more i can convince these guys about my idea for a government employees insurance company being pure GENIUS, but i’m sure if i continue to show off how powerful my hands are, they’ve GOTTA’ believe in me.”

The guy with the envelope is thinking, “I don’t even care what this guy is saying, just wait until i smack this evelope down on him about Allstate and its gonna hit the FAN in here!”

-Marty (Mr. Hands-Up): “Vinnie, come here.. Did you just disrespect me? How come everyone else said congratulations on my 10 year service award, and you just stood there looking at the floor?”
-Vinnie (White Shirt/White Tie): Shrugs
-Marty (Mr. Hands-Up): “Look at me. Do you know who I am. I run this office. I say who gets a raise and you goes bye-bye. Understand? Show some respect.”
-Vinnie (White Shirt/White Tie): “Fine, congrats. Happy?”
-Marty (Mr. Hands-Up): “You’re gonna embarrass me in front of all these people with your lame ‘congrats.’ Look at me. LOOK AT ME!”
-Billy (Short Guy): “C’mon boss. He said ‘congrats’. That’s good enough. Let’s enjoy. It’s your anniversary. Don’t let him ruin it.”
-Marty (Mr. Hands-Up): “OK.. In the spirit of the day, I’ll let Joey make the decision on this guy. Joey?”
-Joey (Arched-Eyebrow Guy): “Hmmm……. Fire him.”

Bigelow-“We can agree here, even Thompson here that we all dislike Jenkins! We all hate him with a passion, agreed? The way he carries his lunch in a manilla envelope. I mean seriously who carries a lunch in a manilla folder…. why is no one agreeing with me….he’s next to me right now isn’t he.”

Jenkins-“I was going to offer you guys some Ritz crackers but now forget it!!”

“You were probably wondering why we asked you to wear a white tie today…Well, as you can see, it’s not really Mike’s birthday party…. Bobby, we’re all here because we care about you. We want you to get help. Joe has the admission papers all filled out here. There are people who can help you… trained people who are experts at this sort of thing. There’s a car waiting outside. Come on, champ… we’re gonna get you all better.”

2235 AD World’s Fair, Flushing, NY
“Please note the wax figures to your left. This exhibit is called ‘Businessmen Talking about Something Important’. Note the distorted facial expressions and hand motions. This was referred to as ‘Driving a Point Home’ in their neverending and unrewarding task of ‘Moving the Numbers.’ The men feigning interest were known by the somewhat derisive term, ‘Yes-Men’ as they frequently were thought to agree with whoever was the highest ranking person in the room. Note the felt strips wrapped around their necks. These were endearingly referred to as ‘Neckties’ or ‘Ties’ for short.
As a side note, this breed all but died out in 2021 with the advent of the CompuDeck.
On a lighter note, let’s move on to our next exhibit, ‘Leo and Lillian Goodwin riding a tandem bicycle'”

the guy with the hand gesture ” Do you realize how much money we could save this company if we upgraded the 3420’s,3480’s and 3490’s to 3590 tape cartridges? I mean look at the data we could store?!.” “IBM is definetley the most cost effective way to go. I pored over the stats all night, and with that new robot, man we could definitely increase the speed and the work load!”

Hand Gesture Guy: “Thompson, it’s simple, you hold the orange like so and just shave off little bits of the rind into your dish giving it a nice citrus Zest… Ted here has brought the recipe for ya in that envelope… Ted… TED!!!”

“Sorry, Boss I’m a bit distracted, but is that John Travolta over there? Man can he dance!”

“Yes of course its him Ted, there filming Celebrity Apprentice – Insurance Salesman this week”

“Look we need to get our lunch order in quick! Pizza or tacos Thompson, PIZZA OR TACOS!!! You’re the deciding vote. Hurry up or the creepy guy from tech support who like to peek out from behind someone’s shoulder with one eye will show up….oh no….”

This is a meeting at Allstate’s national headquarters, circa 1962. Fred (hand gesturing man) is wondering why so many people switched to GEICO. Sid (with hands folded) knows that Charlie (at whom he is looking) just accepted a job with GEICO at the Plaza, while Pat in the foreground nonchalantly tries to hide the manila envelope containing a cover letter and resume he will drop in the mail to GEICO.

“I don’t get it, why do you think a gecko should be our mascot? That just doesn’t make any sense at all. Sure the names are somewhat similar, but that is about it. Maybe it is something people will like in 25 years, but it simply makes no sense at all. We need another idea for a mascot. Anybody?”

“See, there is this pig sir, and he will shout ‘Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ all the way home.”

“Dumb idea… next?”

“How about a Caveman?

“Now you are thinking. Although, I think that will only make sense when the internet is invented and we get out website up and running. Let’s put that in our to-do bag, and make sure we get the rights for a television show based on it. Ok, we are rolling now, what else?”

“Rowing hampsters?”

“Brilliant! That has ‘GEICO is a serious company that can save me lots of money’ written all over it.”

“I don’t get it, why do you think a gecko should be our mascot? That just doesn’t make any sense at all. Sure the names are somewhat similar, but that is about it. Maybe it is something people will like in 25 years, but it simply makes no sense at all. We need another idea for a mascot. Anybody?”
“See, there is this pig sir, and he will shout ‘Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee’ all the way home.”
“Dumb idea… next?”
“How about a Caveman?
“Now you are thinking. Although, I think that will only make sense when the internet is invented and we get out website up and running. Let’s put that in our to-do bag, and make sure we get the rights for a television show based on it. Ok, we are rolling now, what else?”
“Rowing hampsters?”
“Brilliant! That has ‘GEICO is a serious company that can save me lots of money’ written all over it.”
“Sir, I have an idea too.”
“Hmm… ok, let’s hear it.”
“A talking wad of cash!”
“You’re fired.”
***classix***

So for Tony’s shower, everyone was supposed to donate $5.00. If We started with $50 and $2 went for a card, WHICH ALL OF YOU SIGNED, there should be $48. But Jenkins is telling me there’s only $38 in the envelope. Now speak up, who’s holding out?

“It’s time… We have to tell you something…. You see, none of this is real. Me, him, them, all this.. It’s all in your mind. We have all been created just for you. Once we leave your field of vision, we cease to exist. Don’t you see that? You must.”

The guy with the envelope is holding the reports showing how the the guy looking at the guy with the dumb look on his face messed up. The guy with his arms crossed is looking to see the response the guy that messed up is given. and the guy with his hand up is telling the guy that messed up what he will and how he will do it from now He even has his fingers up saying one you will blank two from now on you will.
The guy with the dumb look is getting ready to go off but telling himself I need this job I need this job. And everyone else is trying to hear and see what happens so they don’t make the same mistake this guy did.

Guy With Hand Gesture: So we sat down and did the numbers and we can have one from column one and one from column 2, but no egg rolls or soup.
Short guy: What we all chipped in a whole $1.25 what is up with that?
Guy with Envelope: Look I have the results and we all have relized a capital gain of 1.4% on the last quarter, but overhead and expenses have eroded that to 1.3% taking into account ….
Guy with arms crossed: I wonder if I still can get that new Ferrari for $5,200 i want the ostrich skin seats.
Hand Gesture Guy: Thompson pay attention we are ordering lunch here and we are short the tip of $.30

“You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone!”